Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-04-09
INDIANS AS GAMBLERS.
The Hand Game of the shoshones ana
 Ranuocks-How It Is Played.

The Hand Game of the Shoshones ana
 Bannocks-How It Is Played.
 The Shoshones and Bannocks, on the Sboshone reservation in Idaho have, Ike most Indians a fondness for gambling. To m observer the "hand game" So common among these Indians would seem more Ike n recreation than a propensity for gam blinr for no matter how interesting the came may be good humor invariably pre- walls. X party of ShoshOnes and Bannocks were encamued near the station one alter noon. five of whom-two men and three suuaws-were deeply engrossed in the 'hahd game '' After half an hours close attentloh I managed To obtain fair idea of the game The two men were partners and sat facliis their opponents, the three squaws. In Iron. of each of the opposing sides was Q piie oi twenty small sticks, to be used as count ers '' and in the center of the space lilttr- yeuing was the money. some g or Si TWO well polished pieces of convex shaped bone as large as a lead pencil in the largest par. and possibly three inches in length, WeA vrnnrsd with cord or sinew for nn inch or more in the center and two pieces or the same dimensions unwrapped or IreseiitiI-s the vhi.o surface only, constituted the gam bling outfit.
 Two of the three squaws grasped a wrapped and Unwrapped bone, one in each hand. anI together with the third s4ua" b-an moving their hands rapidly from side to side. describing a half ,ircle and accom- pauving the motion with Q peculiar nasal bumming. Tho men wcre now all attention I. being their duty, it seems, to guess "iilcii hand of either the three sluaws coniained the white bone Whenever the guesser lost one stick from his joint pile of twenty was transferred to the pile in front of the squaWs- and when be won, the bones, together wlti one of the sticks, immediately passed into ms roszcssion. As soon as his partner wH' equally successful 1t became the men's turn to hold the bones The actions Of the two men now were slightly dissimilar to thos' gone through by the three squaws- me bones were held one in each hand ns had been done by their opponents, but instead oi swinging the hands hack and forth, they were placed under the arms, accompanied by an up and down motion of the body and the same peculiar hunrning. When a squaw made an unlucky guess she would pay the usual forfeit, an1 the man by dexterous movement would throw both bones short distance in the air. showing which hand held the corded and which the plain bone When changing the bones from hand to hand De- meath the folds of his blanket or behind hlS back. his maneuvers were continued until the bones passed out of his possession
 And SO the game progressed, first one side holding the bones an then the other. As the bones were changed from hand to hand be- meath the blanket or behind the back, no effort being made to cheat, and lucky guesser being the only requirement of sue cessful player, the games were always of in- finite duration, this one in particular lasting several hours was unable to find out pre- cisely what part the third squaw took in the game. for at no time did discover the bones in her possession, but as the hands of each of the three squaws were held close together and in the swaying motion often came m close proximity to those of the squaw sittins next. it is probable that the third squaw was used to mislead the men, who, 1t would appear, were regarded as the more skillful ulayers